Greek Maid, A

Anon. (1579)

Historical Records

"A pastorell or historie of A Greeke maide" is listed in the Revels accounts of 1578/9 as played at Richmond on "sondaie next" after New Years Day (Feuillerat 286).

Theatrical Provenance

Leicester's, at Richmond. Perhaps also at the Theater, given the company's association with James Burbage and given what looks to be the melodramatic theme of this play.

Probable Genre(s)

'Pastorell or history' (Feuillerat), 'Pastorell' (Harbage); Melodrama?

Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues

The title possibly points to the story of the rape and revenge of Timoclea or Timoclia of Thebes. The story can be found in Painter's Palace of Pleasure, Vol. 2. (1567). William Painter's translations first appeared in the 1560s and were reprinted in 1575 and in 1580 (?). The story of Timoclea is recounted in a 1574 lost play entitled "Timoclea at the Siege of Thebes." The most obvious source would be from the live of Alexander in Plutarch's Lives. It should be noted that Thomas North's translation of Plutarch's Lives was issued in folio the same year, so the Painter version would have been better known to the general public.

References to the Play

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Critical Commentary

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For What It's Worth

Painter claims that he drew the story from Plutarch's De claris mulieribus. He seems to be confusing Plutarch with Boccaccio, who wrote on the lives of famous women. However, the story of the rape of Timoclea is included in Plutarch's life of Alexander the Great.

Works Cited

Feuillerat, Albert. Documents relating to the Office of the Revels in the Time of Queen Elizabeth (Leuven, 1908).

Painter, William. The Second Tome of the Palace of Pleasure. (London: Nicholas England, 1567). See also STC (2nd ed.), 19124.

Site created and maintained by Thomas Dabbs, Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo; updated 27 November 2012.